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New cell tower regulations won't affect Telus proposal

Recent cellphone tower regulation changes announced by the federal government will have no bearing on a Telus tower proposed for Hammond Bay Road.

Current regulations require consultation if a tower is to exceed 15 metres. Under the new rules, companies must consult with communities regardless of the tower's height, towers must be built within three years of consultation and companies must keep affected residents properly informed of upcoming consultation.

Liz Sauve, Telus spokeswoman, said that the tower proposed for Piper's Pub's parking lot will be more than 15 metres. She said Telus has gone beyond and above in its consultation and there is strong support within the community.

“We received valuable feedback from the community during our public consultation process and it appears that roughly 40 per cent of residents are in strong support of enhancing services in this known 'dead zone,' while about 60 per cent of residents either had questions or concerns and we've actively been working to address those concerns over the past few months,” she said, adding that Telus has been receiving complaints about service in the area for a long time.

Telus must gain approval from city council in order for the tower to be built and has made a request to appear before council on Feb. 24, although Sauve said it may have to be deferred to a future meeting.

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